Feel Again
by skybrooke
Summary: Hook catches up to Emma, Snow, Aurora, and Mulan only to find Emma ill.


**He had been tracking them for days. He knew he should go back to Cora. Hell all probability pointed to her beating this band of wayward princess's and lady warriors. But he kept following them... Her.**

**He was surprised that the giant kept his word. Ten hours after her watched Emma walk away, hook was released. **

**"Why did she have you to keep me alive?" Hook had asked the giant before he had started his climb down the beanstalk. **

**"I believe you will figure it out in time Pirate." the giant said with a smile.**

**Hook still didn't understand. Four days later and he still did not get it. But he had finally caught up to them. And he was waiting for his moment.**

** Emma looked tired. **

**He had been spying on them from the hill above where they had stopped to rest. **

**It looked like she had not slept in days… She sat on a rock with Snow... Her mother... Something else he hadn't quite put together yet either. **

**It looked like she was in a heated argument with the warrior woman.. Mulan? **

**He quietly crept further down the hill to get a better listen.**

"**-just don't understand Emma! This could have been so much easier!" Mulan nearly shouted.**

**"Look," Snow said with a defensive tone. "Emma did what she thought was right. We couldn't have asked any more of her!" **

**"Aurora can't go on at this pace much longer. Emma is so sick she can hardly stand. Another day of running and she will most likely die. Snow and I have to do all the work. If you would have just killed him, we wouldn't have to run like this. You think a man like Captain Hook forgives and forgets? No. If he catches us he will get revenge on you Emma. He is not a good person. He is a pirate. Emma he is most likely going to kill you for getting in his way.."**

**"I know." Emma said softly. Her acceptance of Mulan's description of him hurt. He didn't know why. It WAS his reputation to get revenge. But the thought of her believing he could hurt her... Was ... Hell he didn't know… he should be able to hurt her. He should want to hurt her for all the trouble she caused him. But he didn't. He just didn't. **

**"I just couldn't..." Emma said her voice stained "Hook.. He... He is too much like me. He is alone and he is broken. I understand him. And I just couldn't kill him. Not when all he wants is justice.." **

**"Emma he is nothing like you! He is a bad man!" Mulan said before angrily walking away.**

**Emma thought they were alike? He saw it to, in away. They both had been left alone by those they love. He may not know the details of her story but he could tell, she to had been left broken. It was not hard to see it. Especially if it was something you recognize in yourself. **

**"Emma you're not alone" Snow said to her daughter in a hurt tone.**

**"I know! Emma said in a harsh raspy voice "but I was! For so long I was. And I saw that in him as much as he saw it in me. He has no one Mary Margaret. And he is living off his will for vengeance. And I understand only having something dark to drive you. All he wants is to avenge the love of his life, if that makes him a villain... I don't care. I wouldn't completely ruin that chance for him. I just needed some distance. I have to get to Henry, but I won't completely ruin the chance he has of finding peace." At this point she was yelling. The yell turned in to a cough and she doubled over of the rock she had been sitting on.. **

**Hook had to fight the urge to run to her, make sure she was all right. His eyes where wet with tears. He never cried. He had not had a swell of emotions this great in a long, long, time. But hearing this woman, this perfect stranger, this infuriating princess... defend him... Truly understand him. He didn't know it made him feel. Feeling anything other than despair and hate was unusual.**

**"Emma!" Snow screeched as she jumped up to help her daughter. **

**"I- im O.K." Emma said in between coughs. Aurora and Mulan rushed over from their fire to make sure Emma was fine.**

**They helped her lay back against the rock. She was pale and sweating with fever. **

**"This is bad," the princess said her voice full of concern.**

**"Emma needs to get home" snow said her voice filled with panic.. "She needs medicine.. And Mulan said you know of no healer the curse left behind. But first of all she needs a decent nights rest. We can start again tomorrow. " **

"**I agree, she needs rest if she is to be any use to us at all." Mulan said gravely. The woman warrior knelt down and touched Emma's forehead and then exchanged a worried look with Snow.**

**"Guys" Emma said weekly... "I don't think we have the time to-" a violent coughing fit interrupted her protest.**

"**Don't argue Emma," Snow said. "You need rest. That is final." **

**Mulan and Snow had left to gather more firewood and food. And Aurora was fast asleep by the fire. **

**Emma had assured the girl she was fine. She had slept nearly all night long and only woken up a short while ago. She sat against the rock and tried to concentrate on anything other than the pounding in her head or the guilt in her heart.****She did not noticed the sound of footsteps coming up behind her.**

**As he walked up to the camp site, fairly certain the other two were too far away for concern; he felt a strange stir in his stomach. **

"D**arling, you look terrible." said a troubled voice came from behind. Emma whipped her head around and saw him. The man that would most likely try and kill her. **

"**Hook how... how did you" Emma started.**

"**Find you? Well now. I just followed your tracks. You were not hiding well at all love. I have a feeling i could always find you." he mused. **

**Emma looked up at him. She looked into his eyes. His sad eyes that seemed so similar to her own. Eyes that stirred things up deep inside. **

**She pushed herself up to stand before him. "Do it." She said. "I won't beg for my life. If you are going to kill me do it. But leave the rest of them alone."**

**Hooks eyes grew wide. His face was unreadable. **

"**Emma, I am not going to kill you." He said in a sad, ashamed, whisper. **

**Relief flooded Emma's face. She slumped back down against the rock. **

"**Good. Because I am much too tired to die," she said with a laugh that turned into a violent cough. **

"**Swan!" Hook said desperately, as he knelt down beside her. She looked so week. "is there anything you need?" **

"**Hook, why? Why… I left you. Betrayed you, abandoned you." Emma said tears in her eyes. "Why are you helping me? I deserve to die."**

**Horror filled Hooks face. How could this brilliant woman think she deserved to die? **

"**Oh no Swan," he said. "I understand what you did, I do. You don't deserve to die. Not for me."**

"**Yes I do. I abandoned every one important to me. My son, twice, and now my father and my town. I can't even bring myself to let my mother in. To let her be there for me. The only man I ever loved betrayed me at the first chance he got. And the only time it ever seemed that I might feel way towards anyone else he died. I am a curse to everyone I care for. I abandoned you because you made me feel again. What does that say about me Killian? I deserve to die" She said sobbing now.  
**

"**Swan this is the fever talking. You do not deserve to die. You will live damn-it. I will not have the first person that can best me, the first person who can get true emotion out of me, someone who understands me die on me. Please Emma.. You will be ok." Hook said in a panic. He bent his face toward her own… **

"**Hook get away from her!" sounded a shout from across the camp grounds. **

**Snow and Mulan came running toward him. Snow bow in hand released an arrow that went sailing in a straight path towards hooks heart. **

"**No!" Emma screamed jumped up and reached her hand toward the arrow, thinking for some reason that might help. **

**Then a burst of energy exploded from her. The arrow disintegrated in a cloud of blue light. And she collapsed. The last thing she saw was Killian's bewildered face above her own. Screaming her name and begging her to stay. Then she drifted away.****The world was dark around her. **

**She sat up and looked around. She was in a small cottage. She lay on a shaggy bed. She pushed herself off the bed and looked around. In the chair next to her bed was her sleeping mother. She quietly walked past her mother and left the room. She entered a small kitchen area. There was a door that looked like it led outside. She pushed it open and felt the cold night air against her skin.**

"**Swan?" said a rough voice.**

"**Hook?" she said and turned. He was slumped on the floor of the porch. When she saw him his face shocked her. Such relief shown through in his eyes. He jumped up ran to her and took her into his arms. He hugged her so tightly. She was so set back by this emotion from him. It seemed so... loving?**

**"Are you O.K.?" she asked him when he broke the hug. **

"**Am I O.K.? Emma you have been asleep for three days! Am I O.K.? Really?" He said his face wearing a bewildered expression.**

"**Three days? How is that possible? The last thing I remember is Mary ****Margaret** shooting an arrow at you.. And then I.. Did something? I don't know… But that couldn't have been three days ago?" She said in disbelief

"**Emma, you used magic." Hook said. "To save me."**

"**That's impossible." Emma said startled by the idea. "I don't have magic. I'm just me.. That's crazy."**

"**It might be crazy darling, but you did it. You saved my life." Hook said he crossed the remaining distance between them. "Thank you." He said, his face so close to her own.  
**

"**But seriously now my dear, how do you feel?" Hook asked Emma.**

**How did she feel? She wakes up, is vertical for three minutes before she is told she saved Captain Hooks life with magic. Magic, she didn't even know she had. And on top of everything she was still worlds away from Henry. And oh yes there was a very attractive very confusing vengeful pirate less than five inches from her, looking at her with such intensity it made her knees week. **

"**I feel fine," she said. "Honestly fit as an ox." **

"**Good." Hook said. His eyes took on a mischievous gleam and his mouth curled upward in a smile. "Because if you were still ill you might not be able to handle this." Then his mouth was on hers kissing her with passion. She opened her mouth to him willingly. Feeling the strongest connection with this man. She had found a kindred spirit in this pirate. He pushed her up against the wall of the cottage and his hand began exploring her while his arm held them firmly together. There kiss was all fire. It was genuine need for the other person. It held her heart as well as her body. Eventually it slowed from its raging lust into a more sensuous embrace. Eventually Emma broke the kiss and looked up at Hook. **

"**Thank you, Killian." She said in a breathy whisper. **

"**For what darling?" Hook asked looking down at her incredulously. **

"**For helping me to feel again." Emma said and looked into his eyes with love.**

"**Oh my dear. I could say the same thing to you." He said his heart full of joy. He kissed her again.  
**


End file.
